Random Writing Prompts
by Polkahotness
Summary: Prompts that I've either been PMed here or asked about on my tumblr account. Feel free to shoot me a prompt if there's one you'd like me to write!
1. Jealous Arnold

I stared at my phone typing away to Olga as she continued to bore me with news of her newest project of helping underprivileged somebodies in somewhereland. Arnold peeked over my shoulder and made me jump nearly out of my skin.

"Arnold! What the hell!" I exclaimed and he smirked while leaning away to sit up against his bed like we had previously been sitting.

"Sorry, you've just been sort of out of it tonight."

I shrugged my shoulders returning my attention to my phone. "Just tired I guess."

"You've been talking to that person for a while though. For almost the whole movie, actually," He commented and i set my phone down with an eye roll and turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry, Arnoldo, I didn't know that you were my keeper?" I asked with a furrowed brow and he shook his head immediately.

"No, no, not at all, I guess i just, well, i thought you were coming over to spend time together is all," he said sheepishly and I smirked while crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well I'm here, aren't i?"

"N-no, not really. You haven't been 'here' for nearly a week now."

This bothered me and i turned to face him more directly. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"

He reached up to rub at the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know it's just, since your science project with James, you've sort of been, i don't know, out of it with me."

"Out of what," I deadpanned waiting to figure out what it is Arnold was getting at.

"Us, Helga. We-we hardly talk anymore."

"It's a big project, bucko. Like nearly half my grade. And if I'm ever going to get ANY sort of scholarships, i gotta keep those things in like, tip top shape." I explained, but this didn't seem to calm him as he began to pick at his fingers in his lap.

"Well i could help you with it if you wanted," he offered but i waved him off.

"Nah, you aren't even taking the same science class as I am. You're taking astrology or whatever. I'm in a totally different class."

Arnold frowned. "So? That doesn't mean i couldn't help you."

I raised a brow at him. "Arnold. That's sort of what a 'partner' is for. To help on big projects like this one."

"And what about life partners, huh?" He countered, his tone changing to that of a defensive and wounded one. "What about relationship partnership? Shouldn't i be able to help you in that?"

I laughed and shoved my phone in my pocket altogether. "What has gotten INto you, Hair Boy? You're acting like this project with James is some big thing that it CLEARLY isn't."

"James. James, James, JAMES, that's all you can talk about. is that who you've been so busy with during our movie? Talking about your project instead of spending the night with me like you promised?"

I laughed. And laughed. And laughed like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The whole thing was just so… ridiculous and Arnold wasn't getting my reaction AT ALL.

"What's so funny, Helga?" He asked, his brows furrowing as his eyes narrowed in on me. "You think this is funny?"

"No, Arnold," i replied mid-laugh, "YOU'RE funny, okay? What, you're like, JEALOUS or something? Of JAMES the dweeb?"

"See? You've even got a nickname for him," He muttered and i threw my arms up in the air while continuing to laugh.

"Newsflash: I have nicknames for EVERYBODY, Arnold! And his isn't even CREATIVE it's just an observation for cripes sake," I defended before reaching in my pocket for my phone and pulling it out. "And, to settle your mind a bit, I've been talking to Olga– you know Olga, right? My SISTER, Olga. And i've only been talking to her because she's been bugging me nonstop about her stupid new program for underprivileged kids halfway across the world."

"Oh," Arnold murmured before his cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "I-I-I didn't know."

"No, you didn't. You just assumed." I watched him for a moment before scooting closer to him and setting a hand on his thigh. "Arnold, you know i don't have feelings for James the dweeb, right? Because if you honestly think i do, then we have a bigger problem here than your insane jealousy."

"Jealousy?" He asked and i nodded my head with a smile.

"That's what I'd call this little freakout, yes."

"I'm sorry Helga, it's just, you've been so distant lately and I thought, well i was getting scared, not so much scared as–"

I squeezed his leg and offered him a warm smile. "I get it, Arnold. You worry, like i do sometimes, that I'll leave you but you know, that's a part of the whole love game. When you find someone worth loving, you become afraid of all the risks of loving that person in the first place. And one of those risks is losing that person that makes you so happy."

"Yeah," he said with a small nod and i reached up to tilt his chin up so he was looking at me in the eye.

"Arnold, look at me," I demanded before he followed my order and our eyes met and locked together. "I've waited far too long for you to feel like that about me. And i can honestly say that you never, ever, EVER have to waste one second of your time worrying that I'll go anywhere." I smiled wider and gave him a wink. "Especially with James the dweeb."

"Especially, huh?" He asked and I nodded while curling up into his arms and resting my head on his shoulder.

"Especially. But Arnold," i asked before tilting my head to look up at him as he looked down at me, "Try not to go macho jealous ape man again, okay? I don't know how many times I can talk you off that crazy ledge you were just on."

"Sure, Helga," he replied and kissed me on my forehead. "No ledges and no James the dweeb."


	2. You're Never Going to Let That Go

"You all packed up?" I asked from the bottom of the steps to Arnold's room with my hands on my hips. "The moving truck is only going to stay for so long before we gotta follow it to the apartment."

"I'll be along in a minute, I'm just looking at something!" He called down to me and raising my brow, I climbed the steps up to his former room to see him sitting where his bed used to sit with a small book in hand.

"Whatchya got there?" I asked from the doorway, Arnold smiling fondly as he looked down at the apparent pageturner in his lap.

"Just a relic. An old one at that."

I smirked. "How old we talking? Like ancient or ancient to us? I can never tell with you what with your whole love for old things, thing you got going on."

Arnold leaned back and held the book up and began to read from it. "H is for the Head I'd like to punt," he began and my face fell.

"Arnold, gimme that back," i demanded, though he only continued.

"E is for every time I see the little runt," his eyes poked up from the book to look at me with a devilish grin. "Geez, little runt, huh?"

"This isn't funny, that's bad poetry, Arnold," i said but he only continued from where he left off.

"L is longing for our firstest kiss,"

I frowned, "That isn't even a real word, Arnold, just put it away!" I said while walking towards him though he only stood up and kept the book away from me, wriggling about as I tried to snatch it out of his hands.

"G is for how good that longing is," he said and I went in full attack mode and tried to tickle him to death in hopes at getting that freakish book back.

"Seriously Arnold, we gotta go! Why do you have to read that thing anyway?!"

"And A, should we find out A, Helga?" he teased and i growled in response as he read it anyway. "A is for Arnold, doi!"

Knowing the poem was done, i stood down and gave Arnold a flat glare while crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you quite satisfied with yourself now, football-head?"

He closed the book and grinned. "Very. I found this behind the bookshelf. I'd forgotten I even still had it."

I pursed my lips and grumbled, "Yeah, me too,"

"oh don't be angry with me, Helga. I was just having a little fun." He tried, though i wasn't having it.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" I asked with my brow raised and Arnold chuckled before shaking his head.

"Not a chance. I'll be reading this to our grandkids one day," he teased and i shot him a furious glare.

"Oh you will NOT, Shortman. You gimme that book!" I hollered before chasing him around the empty room that held so many memories for the both of us– maybe more memories than he even knew about.

But in that book held the first memory of all, the memory of Arnold's first glimpse into my world of love for him. I was just happy we had many more memories to make– starting with our first apartment which was waiting for us just outside the doors.


	3. You Love Her

The kid was blind. REALLY blind. And while nobody ELSE was allowed to say that, I certainly was because i was that blind kid's best friend.

Had been since Pre-K, thank you very much.

And being best friends with Arnold was kinda tough because while he WAS such a good kid, he was also just a little naive and completely oblivious to certain people around him.

And of course, that certain person would be Helga G. Pataki.

The girl had it for him bad, worse than anyone I'd ever seen, and that's coming from the ladies man himself. I could sense these sort of things, call it a gift will you, and ever since those videos Helga had shown me in preparation of Operation San Lorenzo, I knew something was up.

But even so, I couldn't tell Arnold what I knew. He'd never believe me. Granted, the kid knew that she was a good person SOMEWHERE deep inside her, but he just wouldn't allow himself to see what I'd seen, what we'd ALL seen.

Fast forward to years later and the kid was STILL blind as a bat. Even after their kiss in the jungle (which I DEFINITELY didn't have to see, just saying) they struggled to get their feelings in sync and it wasn't until high school that I'd had just about enough of it.

"Arnold," I said one day as we sat in his room, him fiddling with his keyboard while i watched over his shoulder. "What's the deal with Pataki, huh?"

"What about her?" He asked without looking up from whatever it was he was so engrossed in.

"You two have got it bad for each other, but you never do anything about it. What is UP with that, huh?"

Arnold smirked and shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Gerald. Helga is just a… a friend."

"Friend, huh? That's why you two were macking on each other back in the romantic jungles of San Lorenzo?" I asked with a raised brow and Arnold turned around to face me.

"Gerald… that was– that was _years_ ago. Things are… well they're different."

I wasn't buying it. "Different how? You got a change of heart or something?"

"No," he insisted before returning to his keys on the board. "Helga's just, changed is all."

"What, like how she's NICER to you and doesn't throw spitwads in your hair anymore?"

Arnold dropped his hands from the keys and sighed. "It's just a little intimidating to put a relationship sticker on the two of us. And besides," he said while rubbing at the back of his neck– a sure fire way to know if Arnold is nervous about something. "How am i supposed to know she even feels that way about me anymore? It really was a long time ago and feelings can…they can fade."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "Arnold. The girl is head over heels for you, she always has been. It sounds to ME like YOU'VE got a bad case of denial."

"Denial? I'm not in denial of anything, Gerald."

"Arnold!" I exclaimed while throwing my arms up in the air. "You're in LOVE with her! I've watched it since we were KIDS, man. You always sticking up for her and saying she has this 'good side' nobody else could see and never giving up on her and all that." I crossed my arms again while shooting a finger-gun in his direction. "That's what love is, baby."

"Gerald…" he deadpanned, but i wasn't ready to give up on him. If Arnold had taught me ANYthing in our years of friendship, it was how NOT to give up on someone, even if they were intolerable.

"Don't 'Gerald…' me, man. You LOVE her. You're just too afraid to admit it because then you'd have to ACT on it and let's face it man, you're not very good at acting on your feelings."

Arnold sighed and nodded his head. "You're right," he said and my eyes widened.

"I-I am?" I stuttered out as Arnold continued to nod.

"I'm not very good with feelings, am I?"

I facepalmed my head and took a deep breath. "Look. Arnold. Helga loves you. You love Helga. This is simple math, I'm tellin' ya! All you have to do is make your move and BAM, she's yours. Isn't that what you want?"

This seemed to conflict him somehow and he thought about it for a solid minute before even speaking again. Quietly, he said, "Y-yeah. Yeah, Gerald. That _is_ what I want."

"Well THERE, then. So go get her man!" I pushed and he stood up to look at me head-on.

"Like, right now?" He asked and i smirked.

"It isn't like you don't know where she LIVES or anything." I pointed with my thumb behind me. "It's like a hop skip and a jump away from your place. I'll come with ya if you want."

Arnold reached for his jacket and shook his head, "No, Gerald. I think, I think this is something I've got to do on my own. But Gerald–" he said on his way out the door and i raised a brow in his direction.

"Yeah man?"

"Thanks. I know how hard that probably was for you, seeing as you don't like Helga and all."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Eh. She's alright. I'm sure I'll have to get used to her once you two get together IF you ever leave this house!"

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving." He stopped on the first step, took a deep breath and made his way down the steps, leaving me behind to wait for the aftermath.

"That Arnold. He is a BOLD kid.


	4. I'm Only Here to Establish an Alibi

Gerald's eyes widened at my proposal. "YOU, wanna stay HERE for the night?" He asked and i nodded my head with a frown.

"Don't act so thrilled about it, Geraldo, I'm not stoked to be asking this of you." I said while crossing my arms tightly over my chest.

"But what about Arnold's place, huh? I mean, sure, he's out of town right now, but the boarders know you and I'm sure that-"

I cut him off and held a hand up while shaking my head. "Trust me, i thought that option through and they'd just go looking for me there. Nobody and I mean NOBODY will expect to find me here."

"And Phoebe?" He tried but I merely sighed and dropped my arms to my sides.

"Gerald, look, ONCE AGAIN, they will KNOW where to find me, okay? This is the LAST PLACE they'd expect me because, you know, we're such great friends and all," I added and he rolled his eyes.

"Just the best of friends," he grumbled before sighing and opening the door to his house while gesturing grandly for me to come in. "Please," he said with heavy sarcasm, "do come in, would you?"

Rolling my eyes, I pushed passed him with my bag and wandered into his house, empty, as I knew, for the away volleyball game for Timberly's team a few cities away. They'd be gone all night.

Which was ample time for me to hide until the time was right.

"So, remind me again why it is you need to hide somewhere?" Gerald asked while closing the door behind me and eyeing me as I set my bag down on the ground by the foot of his stairs.

"Once again, I'm only here to establish an alibi, so thanks for paying attention the FIRST time, smart guy." I said before huffing and retelling my tale again. "Olga is in town, and I just needed to be out of that place. YOU wouldn't understand."

"Mm mm MM, you know NOTHING about me, do you, Pataki?" He said before waving me towards the living room where he presented the couch which I flopped onto before he continued talking. "Remember my brother, Jamie-O?"

"Oh please," i said with a wave of my hand, "Your relationship with Jamie-O is NOTHING like mine with Olga, okay? You've got it easy."

"Doubt it," he said while taking a seat next to me. "At least your sister actually CARES about you. Mine could give a rat's ass about me. He's so FULL of himself."

"Talk about people feeling FULL of themselves, have you MET Olga? The woman is practically attached to her stupid PHD title these days." I shook my head and pursed my lips. "She's a complete nightmare. And even WORSE when my parents are within a mile radius of her."

Gerald raised a brow. "Cause they're so supportive of her or whatever?"

"Well yeah, but even more so that they're less supportive of ME." I sighed in exasperation as I went on. "Like, I'm in the top five of the damn class, I've been published 6 times in a HANDFUL of magazines all before my junior year, but what do i know compared to perfect _Ol_ ga."

He glanced at me for a moment before looking ahead at the wall in front of him. "I guess that kinda sucks. I mean, the whole parents thing, anyway. I still think your sister is pretty cool."

I laughed and shook my head, "Then that tall head of hair you got there really ISN'T hiding a gigantic brain."

"Are you calling me dumb, Pataki?" He asked with a raised brow and I looked at him with a sly smile.

"Did I USE those words? Cause I'm pretty sure I never actually used the word 'dumb.'" I said before crossing my arms and legs as I sat next to him awkwardly on the couch.

"I dunno, Helga. You're pretty skilled at throwing out the insults so it's hard to tell anymore. I don't know how Arnold does it."

I frowned. "Does what? DATE me?"

Gerald shook his head with a smirk, "No, geez Helga, I've been fine with you two dating since before it even HAPPENED."

This surprised me and I sat up a bit straighter and narrowed my eyes. "Is that a joke?"

"Nah," he said while adjusting from where he sat. "I've known you had the hots for Arnold since that day you showed me all those videos you had of the guy when we used them for the San Lorenzo video."

My jaw dropped and it took me a moment to shake my head and regain a normal facial expression. "Did you TELL him that?"

"Of course not." He crossed his arms and looked away from me. "I figured he should probably discover all your weird love for him by himself."

I smirked and said, "But isn't that what best FRIENDS are supposed to do for fellow best friends? Tell each other shit like that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Seemed like the kind of thing he shouldn't be rushed into. I know love when I see it. And you were pretty head over heels."

"I was in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Geraldo, WE were in elementary school. How did you even know what love IS, huh?" I asked and he turned to face me and sighed.

"Helga. You may be smart, but I am NOT dumb, alright?" He leaned back into his seat and chuckled to himself. "And besides, I'm not as blind to the ladies as Arnold can be sometimes."

"You say that about your own best friend, huh?"

"About YOUR boyfriend, yeah." He smiled at me and I turned away to look at the opposing wall.

"Why are we even TALKING about this anyway?" I grumbled and Gerald scoffed.

"You're the one staying in MY house, Helga. I think i'm allowed to talk to you about some heavy stuff every now and again."

"Whatever, Gerald. Just let me sleep, will ya? I gotta rest up so i can sneak back into my house after my parents leave to take Olga to the airport." I said while kicking him off the couch with my feet and stretching my body to take up the remainder of the couch.

"You're lucky you're my main man's girlfriend, Pataki," he said as he walked away. "Might not like you so much if you weren't."

I rolled my eyes before closing them and taking a deep breath.

Ugh. Gerald.


	5. Phoebe and Helga

Sleepovers were a weird thing for Phoebe and I. We didn't do them often because of how busy she was and of how annoying my household could be but when we DID have them, they were quiet.

Very quiet.

Not that that was a bad thing.

Ever since I could remember, Phoebe wasn't into the whole girl-on-girl-chat thing that movies depicted. And frankly, neither was I. We spent most of our time doing our own things, but together. Her reading a book for example and me writing in one or on my laptop. But then, every now and again, we'd chime in something to the other and laugh or comment, only to go back to silence once more.

It was nice to be that comfortable around someone- so comfortable that you could tolerate silence and even enjoy it to a degree.

A silent understanding if you will.

That's not to say we didn't have our moments, though.

"Hey Pheebs?" I asked her one day as I shut my computer on my novel that I'd been working on for a good year now.

"Yes?" She replied without looking up from her book.

"Do you think it's... ridiculous of me to keep holding onto the hope that Arnold will finally say yes to dating me?" I asked and she smiled while putting her bookmark into place and sighed.

"Not ridiculous, I don't believe," she said with thought, "though hopeful I would classify it."

"And you don't get those feelings for Gerald?" I pried though she didn't often open up about her own crushes.

Phoebe chewed on her lip for a moment, "I suppose I could see Gerald and I in a way. But not until I was fully ready to commit to such a relationship."

"You and being ready, pssh," I said with a smile and she chuckled quietly into her own hand.

"It's an important step in a relationship, I Helga. Perhaps that's why you are so determined for Arnold to be with you. You may be ready, but he, possibly, might not be."

I'd never thought of that before until now. I pondered this for a while as Phoebe opened her book back up and silence resumed among us. After a few minutes of this, I picked myself up off the floor and took a seat next to Phoebe on her bed.

"Do you ever think that he WILL be ready?" I asked quietly and Phoebe turned from her book to look at me with a smile.

"I think so, yes. But remember Helga, we are only in the 7th grade. Most people our age aren't ready for such commitment."

I frowned, knowing she was right. "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right. But people date all the time in our grade."

Phoebe smiled and nodded her head, "That may be true, but remember that those kinds of relationships don't often last very long. And wouldn't you prefer the two of you remain strong until the very end? I know you, Helga, and I know that's what you're looking for, isn't it?"

I leaned back on her bed and sighed. "Right again, Pheebs." I sucked on the inside of my cheek and then fell to lay all the way on her bed. "But what's the point in WAITING if you KNOW you're supposed to be with someone?"

Phoebe, poor thing, put her bookmark back into her book and shut it while gently placing it beside her. "Relationships need to grow, Helga. You can't force them. If you do, I'm afraid it may be your demise."

"But what about on again, off again relationships? Those work sometimes." I said desperately and Phoebe merely nodded her head in contemplation.

"Yes, they can, but in my experience with adults, which we will all inevitably be one day, on again off again relationships often cause more hurt than content."

I rolled my eyes. "I guess Miriam and Bob are a testament to that, huh? They've been together forEVER, like all the way back in HIGH SCHOOL and they still don't work."

"Thus, forcing a relationship is never the way to go," she repeated. "I think it best that you continue your plight in a relationship, but focus more on building a friendship instead. That way, one day, it can naturally grow into something more and be more fruitful in the end... for both of you."

"For both of us," I intoned and she nodded her head.

"I think you focus too hard on your happiness and not enough of his, if I were to be honest. We're only 13, Helga, and true happiness takes time, especially when two people are involved. Focus on friendship, the rest should come naturally. You simply need to be more patient."

Patience.

Never my strong suit.

I wanted to be with Arnold so bad that I usually forgot his feelings in the process. Maybe the poor kid couldn't even fathom a relationship like I was imagining with him. Maybe the friendship thing WAS the best way to go if I wanted us to go for the long-haul, which I did. I just couldn't see myself with anyone else and as desperately as I wanted it, I couldn't force Arnold to see the same thing. At least not yet.

We had to be friends first.

And even though I knew he returned my feelings, maybe that was the hardest part- to KNOW someone felt about you the same way but didn't want anything out of it; at least not yet.

Not yet.

There was still time.

"So you're saying," I said, "that in order for Arnold and I to work, I have to work on our relationship as friends first? And the rest will just... happen?"

Phoebe nodded her head and pointed a finger towards me. "Precisely."

I chewed on my lip and returned her nod. "Alright," I said while dropping my hands to my sides as I lay on the bed, "I guess I can do that. I mean, what do I have to lose, right?"

"Well, your security blanket if you will."

I raised a brow, "My what?"

Phoebe turned to face me where I lay. "Your security blanket, the way you treat Arnold on many occasions, you have to give up that facade of hating him and really work on showing him the real you."

"The real me, huh?" I asked while reaching up to scratch at my head. "But what if I don't even know who the real me is? And what if he hates it?"

"Those are all risks you need to take if you want a successful relationship, I think. After all, isn't love just that? A risk?"

Her words hit me deep and I sat in thought for the remainder of the evening. Even when we retired for bed, I found myself thinking long and hard about all the insanely mature advice Phoebe had given me. She may be quiet, but she is wise beyond her years.

Sure, we were only 13, but that didn't mean my life was over already if I wasn't with Arnold. She'd been right about one thing, I had to show him myself and to DO that, I had to FIND myself first.

Maybe THAT was the key in all this- find myself and then show Arnold what I really had to offer. Maybe THEN we could be that couple I so longed to be... the one that never gave up on each other no matter what happened because we KNEW each other.

And while I knew Arnold to a degree, most of his responses, his class schedule, his home address and phone number, all of that were just facts and not the real him. Not only did I have to find myself, but I had to find him too and all of that was a process.

I had to be patient, that was the kicker of it all. No matter what way I looked at it, I had to be patient and wait for that golden opportunity between the two of us when it would all just work out right and perfectly like I knew it would.

Because I KNEW it would.

I just had some work to do first.

And I was grateful to have such a great friend in Phoebe who could show me that.


End file.
